Machine for ascertaining the volume of loads of granular material



April 18, 1933. A HA 1,904,223 MACHINE FOR ASCERTAINING THE VOLUME OF LOADS OF GRANULAR MATERIAL Filed Aug. 26, 1951 mmhl IVA/6:125?" Alfred Hmzz'gae.

Patented Apr. 18, 1933 i :i i

UNITED STATES PATENT QFICE I irnrnnn HANIQUE, or PARIS, rRAncn MACHINE non Ascnnmmme rnn VOLUME or LOADS or GRANULAR MATERIAL Application filed August 26, 1931, Serial No. 559,565, and in France March 27, 1931.

Machines for ascertaining the volume of ets. This measuring drum is carried loads of granular material are known which through the agency of ball bearings such as comprise a rotary measuring drum divided by a shaft cl carried in its turn by the sides into a plurality of compartments or buckets of a frame 6 extending round the drum and which are filled in succession from a. compivotally secured to trunnions f carried by pensating hopper and are emptied in .sucthe body of the machine. This frame e forms cession when the granular load filling one a balance beam and carries, on the side opcompartment causes the arrangement to be p'osedv to the drum with reference to the released and then to rotate. In such appatrunnions, an adjustable counterweight g.

10 ratuses, the compartments of the measuring Above the measuring drum and carried drum are each provided on the periphery of through the shaft thereof through two latthe drum with a gate which is held closed eral framesv h loosely mounted on said shaft, during the filling of the compartment and is disposed the. compensating hopper i fed opens for the emptying thereof and abuts from the upper hopper To the lower end 15 against dampers. By reason of the large -of the hopper z are secured on one side the size of these gates and of the weight of the flange or cover is extending over part of load carried by them, their sudden opening the periphery of the drum and on the other and the consequent movements cause a shakside the flange or cover Z extending over the ing of the machine and provide exaggerated periphery of the compartment which is be- 20 strains on the trunnions or axes of these gates ing loaded and passing slightly beyond and i which may thus be broken. underneath the partition forming the wider- My invention has for its object an imside of this compartment. Thus this comproved machine wherein the gates of the partment is completelyclosed except infront measuring drum and the damping stops are of the lower opening of the compensating "25 done away with, the compartments of the hopper z' with which it is in communication.

drum being quite open on their periphery. But it is automatically wide open for unload- This peripheric open part is however coving as soon as the drum has rotated through ered by two incurved flanges disposed on a quarter of a revolution and the comparteither side of the drum in lieu of the prement consideredhas passed free of the cover 0 viously used movable gates and leaving on Z. The unloading is thus provided without their upper side a free passage for the loadany closing means moving and the comparting and on their lower side an unloading ment empties much more speedily than with opening. These incurved flanges are secured the machines in use heretofore. to the compensating hopper and follow the The parts of the system are arranged in I 35 latter together with the drum in their risa manner such that when the drum is staing and falling movements. tionary, the compensating hopper unloads The machine according to my invention is into a compartment of the measuring drum provided moreover with a number of detail to one side of the vertical axial plane, Whereimprovements. uponthe weight of the material filling said I have shown by Way of example'and in a compartment urges the drum a into rotasomewhat diagrannnatical manner one form tion. But aslong as the drum remains in of execution of my invention in accomits upper position by reason of the action panying drawing which is a general vertical of the counterweight g, such a rotary mocross-sectional view thereof. I tion is prevented by a guide roller r en- According to my invention, the machine gaging the recessed portion 3 of the groove comprises a measuring drum constituted by 8 formed in a fixed cam t. In this position two circular flanges a secured together the gate mof the distributing hopper j is through radial partitions b disposed perraised by the compensatinghopperz'against m pendicularly to each other and dividing the the edge of which the projection n, of the drum'into four equal compartments or buckarm n carrying the gate m bears. The material being measured out, flows consequently into the hopper z' and thence into the compartment of the measuring drum just underneath it. The arrangement comprising the drum and the hopper at a given moment equilibrates the counterweight g which causes the whole to rock round the trunnions Due to this movement, the drum a is lowered and the guide roller 7* engages the leading portion 8 of the groove 8 in the cam 25, whereupon the drum being free, rotatesthrough a quarter of a revolution until the following guide roller r engages the adjacent section of the cam groove 3 .and butts against the recessed portion 8 of said groove after mounting the steep portion 8 thereof which breaks and stops the rotating movement of the drum in forcing the latter upwardly. At this moment the compartment considered has moved away from the cover Z and is thus wide open. It empties completely and speedily its contents whereupon the rocking arrangement rises and operation is resumed. 7

During rotation the compartment which has just been filled is levelled by therear edge of the discharge opening of the hopper 2' which is parallel to the drum shaft, at the upper edge of the cover Z and no brush is therefore required.

What I claim is:

hand.

ALFRED HANIQUE.

1. In a distributing machine, the combination of a horizontal rotary drum provided with wide open compartments, a hopper adapted to feed the compartments as they pass in succession underneath it when the drum rotates, a shaft disposed axially of the drum and carrying the hopper, covers secured to the hopper and extending over the entire upper half of the periphery of the drum except in front of the discharge opening of the hopper and means for locking the drum against rotation as long as the weight of material in each successive compartment is under a predetermined value.

2. In a distributing machine, the combination of a horizontal drum constituted by two end flanges and radial partitions connecting them together, a hopper adapted to feed the compartments formed between two successive partitions as they pass in succession underneath it when the drum rotates, a shaft disposed axially of the drum and on which are freely mounted the drum and the hopper, the hopper remaining constantly at the same height above the shaft, a counterweight, a part adapted to rock under the action of the varying difference of weight between the counterweight and the drum, hopper and shaft system and carrying said counterweight and system, covers secured to the hopper and extending over the entire upper half of the periphery of the drum except in front of the discharge opening of the hopper and means for locking the drum 

